Melancolia
This watercolour from the Melancolia series depicts a diving board set amidst the clouds in the sky. This unusual association is imbued with an absurd poetry, inherited from the Dada movement and surrealism. It transcribes expressions of joy such as “being on cloud nine” or “basking in bliss”. There is no character in this composition, as if it were just before or after this leap that we can only imagine. Conceived as a standalone work, this watercolour gave Pierre Ardouvin the idea for an installation, for which he made preparatory sketches entitled Le pays léger (2005), the atmosphere of which differs greatly from the dreamlike world represented in the drawing. As a counterpoint to the title, the diving board is transposed into a small, narrow, dark room. Here, there are no clouds on which to bounce—instead, the diver lands in a pool of dirty water reminiscent of the sewers.
Text written by Justine Grethen as part of the partnership between the École du Louvre and Lafayette Anticipations – Fonds de dotation Famille Moulin.
Exhibitions
CRAC Alsace, Altkirch (France)
from 08 Feb to 10 May 2009
La Galerie des Galeries, Paris (France)
from 01 Oct to 29 Oct 2005
Centre d'Art le LAIT, Albi (France)
from 02 Apr to 05 Jun 2005